Sandy Beach in Rocky Point is usually where people go to relax. However, this week it has been anything but relaxing at the east end closest to the center of town. A tense 62-hour standoff with a troubled Sonoran Star worker ended peacefully after a man willingly came down from a construction crane. Furthermore, we can only share such good news because of an extraordinary, coordinated rescue effort.
Here is what little we know about the incident. However, at this point we cannot answer the more important question of why it happened.
Reports claim the man involved was 39-year-old Daniel Salvador Farias. He was employed as a Sonoran Star worker in Puerto Peñasco to help on the large construction team for the newest beachfront property from Sonoran Resorts. His position was a mason. This means his specialty was working with the concrete aspect of the Sonoran Star Resort project. Fernando Anaya, the recently deceased leader of the company’s development planning believed in hiring talented construction professionals from all over Mexico to build for him.
Mr. Farias came from the Mexican state of Guerrero. It is located roughly 1600 miles southeast of Rocky Point near the southern tip of the Gulf of Mexico. Guerrero is part of the strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. It is just west of the Cental American country of Guatemala. We do not know if the distance was a stressful factor in the man’s dangerous behavior. However, it would seem possible.
Climbing a Sonoran Star Construction Crane
Allegedly, the incident began on Tuesday when Daniel Salvador Farias climbed the yellow Sonoran Star Resort construction crane tower pictured below. It has been reported the mental health episode may have been brought on by a delusion Mr. Farias experienced because of consumption of an illegal drug. It is said the Sonoran Star worker climbed the crane because was afraid of getting in serious trouble.
As you can see in the photo below, the high-pressure scene took place at great heights. Most of the action took place around the clock roughly 15 stories above the ground. This contributed to the harrowing experience for all involved.
Sonoran Star Worker Rescue Effort
From the start, the surreal standoff played out like a dramatic scene you might see in a movie. A rescue team was comprised of members across various government agencies. This included the Puerto Peñasco Municipal Police Department, the Puerto Peñasco Fire Department, Civil Protection and even the Mexican Navy. In addition, co-workers, addiction specialists, and even members of the Farias family were active in the rescue effort.
Undoubtedly, a pair of firefighters Paul González and Francisco Ruiz went above and beyond in every sense. The two heroes put their own lives in danger for the Sonoran Star worker. They risked everything by climbing the tower crane to get close enough to try to persuade Farias to join them. They got close in convincing him. However, after Farias briefly changed his mind, he reversed his way and went back up the tower.
A heartfelt thank you and congratulations to those who participated in the rescue effort. And another heartfelt wish for Daniel Salvador Farias because he has a tough road ahead even if he receives the support he needs.